Esther has spent the past 29 years attempting – unsuccessfully – to divorce her husband. Not a civil divorce, mind you. That part was easy. Civil proceedings moved quickly through the courts after her husband tried to murder her back in 1988.

Esther is an Orthodox Jew, meaning she also needed to get a religious divorce. But that never came. She has waited nearly 30 years for the church to formally set her free from her murderous husband.

The request was repeatedly denied due to the strict rules of Orthodox Judaism. In the eyes of the church, Esther continued to be bound to her would-be murderer. The laws of religious matrimony, they explained, could not be broken even under the grave circumstances – giving a whole new meaning to the saying “the old ball and chain.”

Believers of Orthodox Judaism are bound by strict rules. According to this particular religious doctrine, a woman cannot divorce unless her husband consents to it. Thus, married women whose husbands refuse a “get,” the common term for a religious divorce, are considered “agunot,” or chained women.

2. But it is a convenient tool to use to attack religion.

And THAT overrides your concerns.

Similar to the polls that purport to show a much higher level of non-belief than is shown by polling. These outlier polls are seen by some as more honest and revealing because..............well.............just because they must be true. It is amazing how confirmation bias can allow some to ignore the evidence.